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The benefits of maternal effects in novel and in stable environments

The benefits of maternal effects in novel and in stable environments
The benefits of maternal effects in novel and in stable environments
Natural selection favours phenotypes that match prevailing ecological conditions. A rapid process of adaptation is therefore required in changing environments. Maternal effects can facilitate such responses, but it is currently poorly understood under which circumstances maternal effects may accelerate or slow down the rate of phenotypic evolution. Here, we use a quantitative genetic model, including phenotypic plasticity and maternal effects, to suggest that the relationship between fitness and phenotypic variance plays an important role. Intuitive expectations that positive maternal effects are beneficial are supported following an extreme environmental shift, but, if too strong, that shift can also generate oscillatory dynamics that overshoot the optimal phenotype. In a stable environment, negative maternal effects that slow phenotypic evolution actually minimize variance around the optimum phenotype and thus maximize population mean fitness.
2403-2413
Hoyle, R.B.
e980d6a8-b750-491b-be13-84d695f8b8a1
Ezard, T.H.G.
a143a893-07d0-4673-a2dd-cea2cd7e1374
Hoyle, R.B.
e980d6a8-b750-491b-be13-84d695f8b8a1
Ezard, T.H.G.
a143a893-07d0-4673-a2dd-cea2cd7e1374

Hoyle, R.B. and Ezard, T.H.G. (2012) The benefits of maternal effects in novel and in stable environments. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 9 (75), 2403-2413. (doi:10.1098/rsif.2012.0183).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Natural selection favours phenotypes that match prevailing ecological conditions. A rapid process of adaptation is therefore required in changing environments. Maternal effects can facilitate such responses, but it is currently poorly understood under which circumstances maternal effects may accelerate or slow down the rate of phenotypic evolution. Here, we use a quantitative genetic model, including phenotypic plasticity and maternal effects, to suggest that the relationship between fitness and phenotypic variance plays an important role. Intuitive expectations that positive maternal effects are beneficial are supported following an extreme environmental shift, but, if too strong, that shift can also generate oscillatory dynamics that overshoot the optimal phenotype. In a stable environment, negative maternal effects that slow phenotypic evolution actually minimize variance around the optimum phenotype and thus maximize population mean fitness.

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Published date: 2012
Organisations: Environmental

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 344721
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/344721
PURE UUID: a0d2f986-2c5f-41bf-9e5a-e751e37a4482
ORCID for R.B. Hoyle: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-1645-1071
ORCID for T.H.G. Ezard: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-8305-6605

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Date deposited: 30 Oct 2012 15:10
Last modified: 22 Jun 2024 01:46

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Contributors

Author: R.B. Hoyle ORCID iD
Author: T.H.G. Ezard ORCID iD

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